Abstract
Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common and potentially fatal condition where early and accurate diagnosis can significantly reduce mortality and morbidity. It typically presents with a range of associated symptoms such as breathlessness at rest or during exertion, coughing, discomfort or swelling in the legs, and wheezing. However, many atypical symptoms are also possible, including epigastric pain, hypotension, and night sweats, with mechanisms not yet understood. The absence of definitive signs and symptoms makes diagnosing pulmonary embolism challenging. We report the case of a 56-year-old male who presented to the ER with right-sided chest pain following laparoscopic umbilical and bilateral inguinal hernia repair 6 days prior. Workup revealed a PE, for which the patient was started on apixaban. Following the initiation of apixaban, the patient developed drenching night sweats, which, after extensive workup, were determined to be a diagnosis of exclusion.
Keywords
Diagnosis, Heart failure, Night sweats, Pulmonary embolism